First Look: 2013 Ford B-Max

Ford has pulled the wraps off of its newest versatile people mover ahead of its Geneva Motor Show debut, but it's not a minivan: it's called the B-Max, a compact hatchback people mover.

Ford fans will recognize that the company offers a number of different vehicles overseas that combine minivan looks and versatility in slightly smaller packages: there's the C-Max, which sits atop the platform that underpins the global Focus, which also has a stretched version called the Grand C-Max. Above that, there's the duo of the S-Max and Galaxy large MPVs, which are built atop the same platform that underpins the Range Rover Evoque and Volvo S60.

The new B-Max will slot below all of those, and will be based on the Fiesta. It'll be a five-door-two front doors, two rear sliders, and a rear hatch-and should seat five. Ford promises that it's worked on packaging with the new model to maximize space and versatility.

That promise extends to the car's trickest feature: it has no B-pillars. The front doors latch to the floor and ceiling of the car, while the rear doors are anchored at the floor and to the slider that runs down the back of the car. As a result, Ford promises that the car will have easier ingress and egress, as well as a little bit more room when the doors are closed.

The B-Max will also feature a 1.0-liter EcoBoost three-cylinder engine, which promises 123 horsepower and up to 49 mpg on the EU cycle.

The car will go on display at the Geneva Motor Show in sale in the U.K. this September. It's anyone's guess if it's going to make it to our shores, but seeing as it's based on the Fiesta, it might not be a big stretch to federalize it. What do you think-would it be worth the expense? Let us know in the comments below.